The Language of Flowers
by xoc13
Summary: Someone's sending flowers to Stephanie and it soon becomes obvious they're a message. S&R established relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, okay. I know I've got some stories out there that are under progress, but I just couldn't resist myselfXD In the past week I've encountered pieces about flowers and their meanings in my classes (if you don't know I'm an Environmental Science major) and I kept thinking about S&R (Ranger, we all know it was him, once sent Stephanie a red rose, which symbolizes true love). **

**So, the idea for this story came from the fact that Stephanie has made some enemies in the past. What would happen if one of them returned, sending her messages with flowers?**

**This is an S&R established relationship.**

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

I felt a strong arm snake around me to grab my right wrist and pin my arm across my chest. Another hand grabbed my left arm and I knew I needed to act quickly before I was immobilized.

_Okay, Stephanie. _I told myself. _You've done this before. _I ordered my body to do what I was taught.

With a twist of my hips and half spin I moved away from my aggressor. A sweep of my arm and a well-placed kick to the back of one leg I had enough freedom and momentum to have the upper hand in this encounter. I saw my opening and I took it, leaning against the muscled man before me while simultaneously sweeping leg under his and shoving him down.

His muscular form hit the matted floor and I fell with him, sinking down on top of him in an attempt to immobilize _him_.

"Aha!" I let out a slightly breathless chuckle of victory, straddling him.

"Babe." Ranger stayed down, eyes sparkling.

"I'm now part of a very select group of people who've gotten the drop on you." I beamed, resting my hands on his bare chest.

"Maybe I _wanted_ you to pin me down." A corner of Ranger's mouth lifted in a sexy grin and his hands moved to my hips.

I slapped his hands away. "And here I thought_ I_ was a sore loser." I leaned closer, coming face to face with him. "Admit it. I've improved." My lips brushed his as I spoke and I could feel him getting excited with our close proximity.

And if he gave me another grin I won't be able to wait until we're upstairs to have my way with him.

"You have." Ranger agreed, slipping a hand under my T-shirt while he wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me pressed to him. He captured my lips in a heated kiss, his hand moving under the elastic of my sports bra.

In a matter of seconds the kiss went from heated to scorching, making me grind my hips against his hardness.

We broke apart for air. While I tried to get some much needed oxygen, my right hand was already skimming down his side. I'd just gotten to the waistband of his cargo pants when I felt him still his movements. I returned my gaze to his face and noticed he was looking to the side. I followed his line of sight and saw Bobby standing by the weights.

"Umm…" He shifted his weight from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. "Should I come back?" He was already retreating.

I pushed myself back to a sitting position. "No. I was just collecting my reward for putting the drop on Ranger." This time _I_ grinned at Ranger.

Last month I went after Natalie Fellows when she skipped her court date. She'd been arrested for prostitution, but she claimed it was a bogus charge and that she was a boxer who had nothing to do with the '_ho life_' as she put it. Fellows thought it would be proof enough to let me have_ first-hand knowledge_ of her skills for me to believe her. To make the long story short, that afternoon I saw parts of my body I'd only seen before with the help of a mirror. It's not like she did some serious damage, but I did have a mean body ache for the better part of a week.

Ranger had not been happy when he found out. When he went to get me all he said was _'Babe'_, but I knew he was thinking I needed to keep my gun handy.

on the other hand the guys, led by Lester, decided that since I wasn't going to carry weapons with me, like a gun, when I went out to do my bounty hunting thing, then I should consider another option.

'_Like what?'_, I'd asked Lester.

_'Using your body as your weapon.' _He'd told me, wolfish smile in place.

So, for the last couple of weeks the guys have been teaching me some self-defense. I've been putting lots of effort into it, knowing that being able to kick some ass could come in handy in the future. I know I'm nowhere near the level of the Merry Men or Ranger. Yet.

It's a work in progress.

"You're learning." Ranger placed his hands on the tops of my thighs. The soft squeeze he gave me was a silent plea for me not to get off him. He was still in the mood.

"Okay." Bobby pretended he had a call and stepped out.

"We should leave before more of the guys show up." I said to Ranger. Five o'clock was just a breath away and it was the preferred time for most of the men to get in a workout session. I'd been by my lonesome trying to figure out what I wanted to include in my session when Ranger showed up.

"Yeah." I stood up, offering a hand to Ranger. He took it, but he pushed himself up. I watched him collect his discarded T-shirt and Glock from nearby.

"How did you know I was in the gym?" I asked.

"I spotted you coming in." He saddled up behind me, one hand on my hip as he guided me forward. "Stay close." The whispered words held the promise of private fun as soon as we made it to his apartment.

Thirty minutes later I collapsed on top of him, sweaty and working on catching my breath. Making love with Ranger is simply magical, setting me on fire with a single look or touch.

"That's definitely better than jogging in place." I told him, giggling after.

"Babe." He let out a chuckle, making me want to start all over again.

S&R

Ranger was gone by the time I woke up the next morning.

I was feeling extremely satisfied after a night of hot lovin'. I took my time to roll out of bed, took an extra-long shower and changed into my usual uniform of jeans and T-shirt.

There was a tray of food and coffee waiting for me when I reached the kitchen. Ella is just magnificent, because if I were at my apartment right now I'd have opted for breakfast at the Bonds office with Connie and Lula. They usually have donuts in the morning.

I ate in comfortable silence and then I was on my way.

Business was slow. The shops around the Bonds office were empty. I parked right in front of the office and got out.

Connie was at her desk, sipping coffee and munching on a huge breakfast burrito. Lula was on the chair opposite Connie, gobbling down her monster burrito.

"What happened to the donuts?" I asked, taking the seat next to Lula.

"We gotta have something healthy for breakfast once in a while." Lula said, taking a swing of her large soda.

"Right." I said, shifting my attention to the flowers on a corner of Connie's desk. "What's with the flowers?" I asked Connie if she had a secret admirer.

"Actually, they're for you." She said they were by the front door when she opened up this morning.

"Who they from?" Lula wanted to know, no longer busy with food since she'd finished it all.

I reached for the card mingled with the orange-ish flowers. "Doesn't say." The card only said they were for me, written in ornamented handwriting.

"Ranger?" Connie asked.

I shook my head. "He'd send me a red rose."

"Just one? That sounds kinda cheap." Lula shook her head in disapproval.

"Anything new come in?" I asked Connie, my eyes still scanning over the flowers.

"No."

"Alright." I had no current FTAs, so I decided to head back to Rangeman.

S&R

I'd just parked my CRV in one of Ranger's personal spots when someone rapped on the driver's side window.

"What you up to, Beautiful?" Lester asked when I opened my door.

"Not much." I grabbed the bouquet of flowers and got out.

Lester made a face when he saw them. "That is _so_ wrong."

"What?" I asked.

"Heleniums." He took the flowers from me, saying they weren't something nice to send.

"Why?" I asked, not understanding where he was coming from.

"Way back when people used to send messages through flowers." Lester said it was a coded way of talk, a sort of secret language.

"And you know all about this?" I asked, arching an eyebrow in question.

"Hey, I have a heart." He gave me a look of false indignation. "Plus, the ladies love flowers." His smile playful.

I took the flowers back from Lester. "Mmhmm."

"I would have personally sent something more positive and happy, like a Lily for her elegance and beauty." Lester sighed, probably thinking about his next conquest.

"More positive?" I looked at the flowers. "What do these mean?"

"Tears." A shiver ran up my spine at his words.

"Thanks for the insight." I told him, waving as I moved to the elevator.

I rode the elevator to the fifth floor, hoping to catch Ranger in his office. I'm pretty sure these weren't from him and I was trying to convince myself that the flower's supposed meaning had nothing to do with the reason someone sent them to me.

At least, I hoped so.


	2. Tears

**I'm supposed to be writing all about the Hydrological cycle for my Geology paper, but the response to the opening chapter was amazing! Thanks:D**

**Some of you might be wondering how S&R hooked up. We'll get there;)**

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. **

Ranger was returning the phone to its cradle when I entered his office. He slouched in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. It always takes my breath away when I get to see a side of him he doesn't often expose to the outside world.

"Hey." Ranger said, looking annoyed.

"Hey yourself." I rounded his desk, leaning against it to look at him. He was wearing his usual uniform, the T-shirt hugging bulging biceps as he pushed himself to a straighter position. "What's going on?"

Ranger said he got a call from a client. Rangeman handles security at her company. He said this client was having a meltdown. She wanted a tight security system installed at home and she wanted it yesterday. "I was going to call you for help."

"Why?" The guys were great at their jobs.

"She wants us to cover all the places a teenage girl could sneak out of in the middle of the night." Ranger leaned back in his chair, shooting me a half grin.

"Just because I snuck out a time or two…" I poked a finger at his chest, getting playful. "That doesn't make me an expert." He snagged my hand and in the blink of an eye I was sprawled across his lap. I let the flowers tumble from my loose grip, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I bet you were lots of fun." One of Ranger's hands was skimming up the inside of my thighs and the other came to rest on the small of my back, under my T-shirt.

"Was?" I arched an eyebrow, trailing a hand down his chest. "Still am." Ranger nodded, accepting my kiss.

The phone rang. His groan interrupted his kiss. I waited.

Ranger disconnected with a sigh. "You coming?" He asked me.

"Not yet."

"Babe."

I grinned, letting him know I understood what he was referring to. I untangled myself from him, attempted to get up and discovered he wasn't ready to let go. "If we don't take care of this installation you'll get calls in the middle of the night." I teased.

Ranger groaned, leaning forward to get up. His left foot stepped on the flowers and he remained seated. "What's this about?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Connie found them outside the office when she opened up." I told him I had no clue who they were from. The card didn't say. "Lester, Doctor of Womenology and expert in the field of communicating with flowers, told me they're Heleniums. And they mean tears." I looked at the flowers, admitting they looked benign enough. "I think they're creepy."

Ranger inspected the flowers. "Anything else I need to know about?"

I thought about it. I had no current FTAs. No stalkers staking out my apartment that I knew of, and aside from last month's body rearrangement I haven't had any altercations with anyone for a long while. I've had my car for three months and it hasn't burned, exploded or otherwise been destroyed. "Nope."

The phone rang again and Ranger shot it a death glare.

S&R

It was after lunch time by the time we were done with our walkthrough.

"Why did you stay?" I asked Ranger when he pulled into traffic. He could have sent me with one of his men. I'm sure he has more pressing matters to take care of.

"And miss seeing you in action?"

"Jerk." I punched him in the arm. It's clear I've been categorized as entertainment and though that used to annoy me in the past, I've come to realize that it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"You've left a teenager without her secret escape route." Ranger smiled, lightening the stress of his day.

"I know." I stifled a smile, remembering the days when I used to sneak out of a window.

"Babe."

S&R

After a long afternoon of running searches I was ready to call it a day. I don't work for Rangeman officially, but they guys are always happy to use my help.

I was just leaving the cubicle when Ranger came to get me. He wanted to know if I wanted to have dinner here. I nodded.

By the time we got up to seven Ella had already left a tray of food for us.

"You want to spend the night here?" Ranger asked when we were done eating.

"Yeah." Turns out desk duty is just as demanding as field work.

Despite the fact that I was tired, I couldn't fall asleep. Rationally, I knew I was on the seventh floor of a very secure building.

But I couldn't shake off the creepy vibe crawling up the back of my neck.

I felt Ranger drape an arm over my middle, the touch interrupting my internal musings. I willed myself to fall asleep, scooting closer to Ranger. I pressed up against his body as much as physically possible, taking in his unique sent.

I fell asleep to the sound of his even breathing.

S&R

Lula and Connie had donuts and coffee when I rolled in the next morning. Still no FTAs for me to chase after, so I took a seat and selected a donut.

"No flowers for me today?" I asked out of curiosity. Connie shook her head.

"You know who sent them?" Lula wanted to know. I shrugged. I had no clue.

I was contemplating another donut when my cell phone rang. My parents' number flashed across the screen.

"What are you up to?" Grandma Mazur wanted to know if I was busying chasing down criminals. She said I haven't been to dinner lately. My wanted to know if I would have lunch with them.

"Yeah." I asked if they needed me to take anything before hanging up.

"Yo momma invited you to lunch?" Lula said she'd so tag along if it weren't for the fact that it was Taco Thursday. "We already have our order planned out."

I killed some time with the girls before I left to my parents' house.

I spotted Valerie's mini van parked on the curb in front of our parents' house when I turned the corner. I drove past it, finding on street parking a few houses down.

Lunch started out comfortable until my mother asked if Ranger and I were living together.

"No." It was the truth. We _do_ spend almost every night together, but she doesn't need to know the details. Grandma would probably want me to paint a picture.

"Joseph's getting married." My mother let that hang in the open for a few beats.

I did a mental eye roll. _Here we go again_, I thought. Ever since I made a decision where my love live was concerned, my mother's been on a constant campaign for me to get married. I guess she's accepted that I chose Ranger. At this point she's no longer concerned with who I get married. She just wants it to happen.

I, on the other hand, am in no hurry for that to happen. What Ranger and I have is not the typical love story. And the most important thing? It works. There's a love that cannot be denied and I'm happy. It's not just comfortable or dependent. It's simply feels… right.

"Those are just rumors." Valerie jumped in, changing the subject. "The way Ranger looks at you…" She let out a sigh, saying we really do belong together.

My mother wasn't deterred, trying to veer the conversation back to the whole marriage topic.

Valerie looked at the time, saying she had to pick up Lisa from school. It was a short day for them. "Wanna come with?"

"Sure." That way I won't have to sneak out when my mother's not looking.

Valerie's youngest daughter was taking a late nap upstairs, so my sister asked our mother to keep an eye on her while we got back.

"Thanks." I told my sister as we walked to her minivan. Valerie came to a stop, gawking at her car. Flat tires. We went around, finding that all four tires were useless.

"What the heck?" Valerie stood hands on hips, looking confused. After a few minutes of gawking, my sister asked if I could give her a ride to get Lisa. "I'll call to get this fixed when we come back." She said her older two, Angie and Mary Alice, had extracurricular activities so she would have some time to get this issue resolved.

I let Valerie drive since she knew how traffic flowed during pick-up and drop-off hours around the elementary school. She parked a block away on the same side as the school, saying it was easier to walk up to the gate.

"Traffic is unbelievable." She told me, walking briskly.

"Are we late?" I asked her, taking longer strides to keep up. Valerie shook her head. She just hated to be the last one picking up her child.

We reached the gate and I stepped aside to allow anxious little ones to pass. The adult I assume was keeping an eye at the gate was busy soothing a little boy. He had a bloody nose and was obviously in distress.

"Lisa!" I watched Valerie spin in a circle, craning her neck. My sister was past the gate, wadding her way through a sea of children.

"What's going on?" I asked Valerie when she neared.

"I can't find Lisa."

"Maybe she's playing or…"

"No." Valerie shook her head. "She knows to wait for me here." She pointed to a bench on the blacktop, near the gate.

Maybe it was the creepy vibe I felt yesterday or because of Valerie's anxiety that my heartbeat sped up.

I tried to help, but wasn't sure what to do. Spinning around, eyes peeled, I looked up and down the sidewalk. In the distance, I spotted a small figure standing by the side of my car.

"Val!" I waved my sister over, pointing towards my car.

Valerie sprinted back to my car, beating me to get there.

"I've told you never to talk to strangers. _Ever_!" I heard my sister say when I reached her side. My niece looked stunned, not understanding her mother's harsh tone.

Lisa's lips quivered, about to cry. "I didn't do anything wrong." She turned watery eyes to me. "He said he was your friend." Valerie hugged her daughter, tearing up despite the struggle.

That same shiver ran up my spine again, just as a wave of nausea washed over me.

_Tears_. I couldn't help but think about the Heleniums.

And then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a bundle of small white flowers on the hood of my car.

My hand trembled as I reached for the rectangular card on my windshield.

_For Stephanie_


	3. War

**After spending most of my weekend studying for an exam and writing a scientific paper, I finally crawled into bed exhausted last night. I was going to take a nap today after my classes, you know to catch up on my rest, but I was inspired to write the continuation for this story:D Thanks for the great support on this one. **

**Stephanie has a little meltdown, but Ranger's there to help her get through it. **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

I had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel by the time I zipped into the underground garage. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware of the fact that I'd broken numerous traffic laws to make it back in record time, but I didn't care.

Someone wanted my attention and he'd gone to the extreme effort of getting my sister and her daughter involved. I was on a mission to find out what this asshole wanted. And I was determined to put an end to it.

I got impatient and took the stairs, not waiting for the elevator.

I knew I was a little flustered by the time I got to the fifth floor, but that didn't stop me. I clutched the bundle of flowers with more force and went in search of Lester.

He was stuck doing desk duty, his attention focused on the computer screen in front of him.

"What do these _mean_?" I shoved the flowers in his face, demanding an answer.

"Uh." Lester gave me a puzzled look, taking them from me.

"What. Do. They. Mean?" My words were clipped, earning me a few curious glares from the other men in the room.

"Are you okay, Beautiful?" Lester leaned closer, looking me over. "What's going on?"

"More flowers." I pointed to the bundle now lying on his desk. "He took my niece to my car and _left_ her there with the flowers." I was pretty sure whoever was behind this also slashed Valerie's tires. "It's a message!" I was ranting, I knew.

"Why don't you sit down…" Lester motioned for me to sit, offering me his chair.

"No!" I gave him a shove, which did nothing to his stance. "Snap out of it." I growled. "Tell me what it _means_."

"You look like you're upset." Lester tried to get me to sit, tone soothing, but I squirmed out of his reach.

"I need to know." I didn't want things to escalate. My niece had already been exposed to danger. "She's just a child!"

Things became somewhat of a blur. Lester kept trying to get me to sit and I become more agitated because of his avoidance. I didn't even notice when Bobby joined us, but I'm sure he did something. One moment I was waving my arms, demanding an answer and the next I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

In a matter of seconds I started feeling calmer.

S&R

By the time I started feeling like myself again I was on my back, resting on Ranger's comfortable bed. Without opening my eyes I knew he was by my side.

"Bobby had to give you something." Ranger's voice greeted me when my eyelids fluttered open. He was sitting on the bed next to me, looking me over.

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Ranger waited me out. He removed my sneakers and socks, waiting.

I got him up to speed.

"He?" Ranger asked.

"According to Lisa." Ranger asked if I knew what the man looked like. I shook my head. "Everything happened so fast." And I'd felt so helpless.

"Babe." I didn't even notice I was working myself up again. Ranger said we were going to figure this out together.

"Okay." I nodded, taking another deep breath.

"Santos is working the flower angle." Ranger said Lester was on it. "And _we_ are going to start with your niece."

"Yeah." I sat up. With all the chaos and mixed emotions I didn't have a chance to really talk to my niece.

Ranger's hands move to the snap on my jeans and I automatically tumbled back. I watched him drag them down, along with my panties, leaving me naked from the waist down. When he moved to rid me of my tee, he told me a shower might help me relax.

"Good idea." Once I was naked he coaxed me out of bed, leading the way to the bathroom. I watched him adjust the water before he motioned for me to get in. I tugged on his T-shirt, cocking my head to the side to let him know I wanted him to join me.

Ranger undressed quickly, following me into the glass enclosed shower.

I stood under the water spray, lifting my head to allow the water to fall on my face. It helped a lot.

Ranger lathered me up, delivering a heavenly massage in the process. I sighed, enjoying his touch. It wasn't sexual, but it still made me melt against him.

"They couldn't control you." Ranger said his men had a hard time corralling me to get me to calm down. That was interesting, considering they could easily physically overpower me.

"I…" I turned around to face him, knowing this conversation needed to be a face to face one. "When I was a kid I jumped off a roof because I wanted to fly." My mother's initial reaction, before the grounding, was one of fear. "I've never seen that look on anyone else, until today." Valerie was real scared today. I don't even want to image the horrors my niece could have been exposed to.

"Babe." Ranger hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my face up so I could look him in the eyes. "We'll get to the bottom of this." He was by my side.

That gave me strength.

S&R

I felt much better after showering.

We left the apartment and Ranger drove us to my sister's.

"Has Lester told you what the flowers are or what they mean?" Truth be told, I'm not a big connoisseur of flowers. I pretty much peaked at roses and those commonly used in funerals.

"Yarrow." Ranger spared me a quick glance, slowing for a red light. It was getting dark outside, and shadows where starting to creep out, claiming ground. "Means war."

_Oh boy._

I closed my eyes, counted to ten and worked on calming my racing heartbeat. There was just something about this whole situation that was really getting to me.

It was all too creepy.

The car rolled to a stop. I opened my eyes, noticing we were in front of my sister's house.

I took another deep breath and moved to open my door. "Let's go."

I walked to the front door with Ranger by my side.

**A little bit of transition with S&R having a bonding moment. Next chapter, S&R make progress on the flower mystery. **

**BTW, reviews are very encouraging;)**


	4. Leads

**Thanks for the amazing response. I just checked my calendar and realized I have upcoming exams and papers (again) in the next two weeks, meaning my writing time will be very scarce. But the amazing response to the last chapter inspired me to write this next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

When we got to the door I told Ranger he should be the one to talk with Lisa. I was afraid that if I started asking questions she would think things were serious. I'm not saying they're not, but such worries don't belong in the mind of little ones.

"So?" I was waiting for Ranger to give me an answer and kept busy by straightening out his T-shirt so as to cover more effectively the gun at his hip.

"Babe." That almost imperceptive nod and his tone told me he would do it.

The door opened and Valerie poked her head out. I gave her a friendly wave and stepped in. I gave her the rundown of what we were up to and asked if she was okay with Ranger talking to Lisa.

"Yeah." Valerie said the girls were upstairs. "Second door to the right." Ranger nodded and moved to the stairs.

"How are you doing?" I asked, following Valerie to the kitchen. I'd called my father to pick them up earlier. He was only a few blocks away on his cab. I left her to work things out at the school and headed for Rangeman. And after what happened with me over there, I didn't have a chance to call her.

Valerie sighed. She told me she talked to school personnel, told them what happened. "They're going to keep a closer eye on their doors and will issue out written communication to the community, so they can keep their eyes open too." My sister said it was pretty standard stuff.

"Tires fixed?"

"Yeah. Dad took care of it." Valerie moved to the cutting board, returning to her vegetable cutting.

Silence stretched for a beat or two until my sister gave up with the knife and looked me in the eye.

"Catch the son of a bitch." Her words were clipped, a gleam in her eye making me want to take a few steps back. I wondered if that was the sight the Merry Men witness with me today.

I grimaced. Even if I wasn't real happy about being sedated I admit that if it was _necessary_ I prefer that to being knocked unconscious by a punch. Not that the guys would hurt me.

"Ranger and I are working on it." I told her we also had help from someone else.

"Albert and I had planned a getaway weekend with the girls. Should we cancel?"

"I'll ask Ranger." He's the security expert.

"Okay." Valerie took a deep breath, but before her shaking hand reached for the knife again I cut in.

"How about we order in?" I forced a smile on my face, hoping it would help her relax a bit. She nodded and I said I was going to go round-up the girls and ask what they were in the mood for.

I took the stairs and happy chatter greeted me. I silently promised myself I would do everything I could for things to stay this way for my sister and her family.

I walked into the room where the chatter was coming from. Ranger was seated on the floor, legs crossed, with my younger two nieces. His muscular body made the little girls and their child sized furniture look even smaller.

"Hey." I waved at them, stopping next to Ranger. I placed a hand on his shoulder, partially leaning against him as I asked the girls what they wanted to eat.

"Pizza!" The enthusiastic response was immediate. Lisa was quick to add that eating at _the place_ was always better.

"Uh.." I glanced at Ranger for confirmation. When he nodded I offered my hands to the girls. "Where to?"

By the time everyone was ready to go and Valerie told Albert to meet us at Pino's a Rangeman SUV was already waiting at the curb.

Ranger took the lead with Valerie's minivan in the middle and the Rangeman SUV bringing up the rear.

"What did Lisa tell you?" I asked Ranger on our drive.

"The man is, quote on quote, not as big as me or as soft as daddy." Ranger told me my niece had pretty much moved on. "I suspect this guy was wearing a disguise."

"Then we're back to having no leads." I sighed.

"There are other angles."

"Right." I agreed. "Oh, hey." I told Ranger about Valerie's inquiry about a weekend getaway.

"Might actually work out better if they're away." Ranger said he would assign them someone to look out for them.

Ranger parked and got out, motioning for Valerie to take the spot next to ours.

We sat at a circular booth by the corner. We were a little crowded, but we made room for everyone. When Albert arrived he had to pull up a chair. We made it work.

I ate my meatball sub and a small chunk of pizza, watching the interaction. My sister had a good family life. I don't want that to change.

Ranger must have sensed my thoughts. I felt him shift the tiniest bit closer, pressing our bodies from shoulder to knee. I patted his thigh under the table, thanking him.

S&R

I told Valerie and Albert what the plan was so they wouldn't freak out about the Rangeman tail. They thanked us when we got back to the house and asked us to keep them posted on any developments.

"We're staying at Rangeman." It was a statement. I didn't protest.

"Can we stop at my apartment to get Rex?" I told Ranger when he pulled away from the curb, moving away from my sister's house.

Ranger parked by the door to the lobby and we took the stairs to my apartment. Together.

He opened my door no key needed and left me in the foyer while he did a thorough search.

"Clear." Ranger called from the bedroom, the last place he searched. "No flowers either."

I let out a sigh of relief and moved to the kitchen. Rex came out of his soup can when I tapped on his cage. I dropped some food pellets in, giving Rex the details. He wasn't impressed with the food pellets, but he did perk up when I told him we were moving to Rangeman until things were taken care of.

My Brown bear cookie jar called my attention and I contemplated taking out my Smith & Wesson, but then I thought better of it. No bullets.

"I have one for you to use." It wasn't until he spoke that I realized he was standing right behind me.

"I thought you were my gun." I teased, turning around to face him.

"Babe." Ranger grinned and wrapped his arms around me. He plastered me to his front, swooping down to capture my lips. The kiss was playful and it made me forget about the whole flower thing for a moment.

"If we head back to Rangeman now, we can take care of business." I swiveled my hips and the action got me another kiss.

Ranger carted Rex's cage down to the car with me following close behind. He got behind the wheel and we went back to Rangeman.

S&R

I awoke in the middle of the night, reaching for Ranger. It usually worked the other way around, with him turning me over for a round of lovemaking.

A few nips across his shoulder and neck had Ranger on instant alert. He flipped us over to be on top, working his magic.

He collapsed on top of me long moments later, the weight of his body anchoring me to reality. He rolled away a beat later, taking me with him so I could be on top now. In the process I caught a glimpse of the time, realizing it wasn't actually the middle of the night.

We stayed quiet, working on catching our breath.

"I'm meeting with Santos in about an hour." Ranger said, slipping his fingers through my messy curls. "Do you want to join us?"

"Yeah." I pushed myself up, sneaking another glance at the clock. "Hey," I leaned closer, skimming my lips over his in a playful kiss. "Think we have time for round two?" I squealed when he flipped us, eager to continue.

S&R

I went downstairs with Ranger to his office, making a quick stop at the break room to get coffee.

Lester joined us at the hour.

"How you feelin', Beautiful?" He asked.

"Better." I tried to apologize for yesterday's episode, but he waved his hand. When _Lester _tried to explain why they did what they did, I waved a hand. It was best to move on and focus our attention elsewhere.

"Let's not get mushy, then." He gave me a fist bump. I assume that meant things were good between us.

"What do you have?" Ranger asked.

"I did some leg work, hitting flower shops around Trenton. I asked if there had been any special requests for flowers or if someone had struck as unusual."

"And?" I leaned against the front of Ranger's desk, wanting to know what Lester found.

"There's one shop on Hamilton that's had a few special requests in the past couple days. I talked to the owner last night, right before he closed." Lester said he didn't get anything that was extremely useful, but at least we could stake out the shop in search of more leads.

"Let's do that." I agreed, shooting a glance back at Ranger. He was the face of calm.

My cell phone rang and all eyes fell on me. I fished it out of my jeans' pocket and frowned at the readout.

"Who is it?" Ranger wanted to know.

"I dunno. Don't recognize the number, but it's local." I answered on speaker, giving the caller a quick '_hello_'.

"Hahaha, very funny." A male voice said.

"Dickie?" I frowned at the phone.

_Ex-husband?_ Lester mouthed the question. I nodded, asking Dickie what he wanted.

"Don't act like you don't know." He said he woke up to find his house _filled with flowers_. "There was only one note saying they were for _you_."

Ranger rose to his feet motioning me to follow him out of his office.

"Come get them or I'm tossing them!" I hung up and followed Ranger down the hall to the elevator.


	5. An Apparent Wild Goose Chase

**Been working on this chapter for the better part of two weeks, until I was satisfied with the way it came out. As always, thanks for the huge response. **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

We piled in the car and Ranger took off with Lester following right behind. A quick call later got Ranger Dickie's new address.

My ex-husband came into a good chunk of money a while back and like it is with anything that isn't rightfully yours, the money didn't last. So, I guess Dickie's back in Trenton with hopes of rebuilding his wealth.

Ranger wound around homes bordering Trenton proper until he came to a stop in front of a nicely kept two story house. He reached under his seat and came up with a gun. "Here." He handed me the Baby Glock.

"I know how to use it." I said before he gave me instructions.

"I know." Ranger frowned, thinking. "Be careful." He finally said, leaning closer to give me a quick kiss on the lips.

"You too." The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt.

We got out and walked to the front door. I tucked the gun in the waistband of my jeans so it could rest securely at the small of my back as we waited for Dickie to open the door.

"Took you long enough." Dickie huffed when he finally opened up. He was in the middle of getting dressed, his collared shirt gaping open.

"So, what's the big deal?" I asked, pleased to know my question irked him.

"My fiancée and her parents arrive today! I can't have them over if my house is filled with this mess. And to top it all off, it's for you!"

This is the first I hear about him remarrying. "We'll take the flowers off your hands." I said, stepping past him with Ranger staying close behind. From the corner of my eye I spotted Lester following us in.

"Make it fast." Dickie said, annoyance clear in his tone. "I should be on my way already."

I ignored him, surveying the living room. It was filled with yarrow, but unlike the bundle I received these looked like they'd been torn from someone's yard. There was dirt all over the place and I had to suppress a smile. Dickie is anal when it comes to control and I'm sure waking up to a dirt-covered living room must be killing him.

"Where's the note?" I asked, not bothering to look at him.

"It was at the foot of the stairs." Dickie passed me a small rectangular card. I inspected it, certain it was the same handwriting. Same message as the last time too.

"How come you didn't hear anything during the night?" Lester asked. He was standing slightly to the side, arms crossed over his chest and looking very intimidating.

"Seems like whoever did this spent some time here." Ranger added, a column of strength standing by my side.

"I might have taken something before bed." Dickie said, turning defensive. "You know what? Why don't you and your boy-toys here hurry up and clean this mess."

I felt a wave of anger wash over me, but before I could do or say anything in response to that comment, Ranger's hand snuck under my T-shirt to disarm me. I shot him a sideways glance, catching the small tick in his jaw. One more comment like that and Dickie won't have to worry about picking up his future in-laws.

"Ah!" Dickie's yelp made me tear my eyes away from Ranger.

"He fell." Lester commented, reaching down to 'help' Dickie up.

"No I didn't!" Dickie refused Lester's help, rising to his feet by his own means. "Just hurry up." He snarled, heading back upstairs. I heard him mutter under his breath something along the lines of 'they're crazy'.

S&R

We took care of retrieving the flowers, but left Dickie to deal with the rest.

"The lock on the kitchen door was forced." Ranger told me once we were back in the car.

"I wish I knew what this was all about." I huffed, annoyed because it feels like we're on a wild goose chase.

"We'll figure it out." Ranger reassured, pulling away from the curb. Lester didn't follow.

"Uh, why is Lester staying behind?" I asked Ranger.

"He's going to scope out the area."

My phone rang and I answered it automatically, looking over my shoulder to make sure Lester wasn't going to snap Dickie in two. Not that Dickie deserves any favors.

"You should see what happened over here!" Grandma Mazur sounded very excited.

"What's going on?" I chose to pay attention to Grandma. It sounded like it was important.

"Woke up early to go to the mall since I got my Social Security Check in the mail yesterday and guess what I found?" There was no time for me to take a guess since Grandma kept talking. "Someone made a mess of the front yard and next thing I know Betty from Bingo calls to tell me someone tore the plants around her house too!" Grandma said the phone had been ringing nonstop. People want to know if there's some sort of vandal terrorizing Burg properties.

I got a tingle at the base of my spine when the information sunk in. "By any chance, does Betty have white Yarrow in her yard?"

"How'd you know?" Grandma deflated, hating that someone beat her to give me the news.

I told Grandma I'd stop by the house and hung up.

"Babe?" Ranger shot me a sideways glance, making a turn and heading to the Burg.

"Just found out where the flowers came from." I said.

S&R

Taking a look at my parents' place and then going over to pay a visit to Grandma's friend took us the rest of the day. By the time Ranger and I returned to Rangeman I was feeling drained. I skipped dinner and went to sleep.

I didn't feel when he joined me in bed, but when I opened my eyes some time later Ranger was by my side. The bedroom was dark, so I snuggled closer. My body was already tucked close to his, so I placed my head on his bare chest. I allowed his heartbeat to lull me back to sleep.

I was almost asleep when I felt Ranger shift, rolling us to the side. I untangled the sheets, getting comfortable once again. Ranger was still asleep, keeping me close. A small smile escaped my lips and I placed a goodnight kiss on his chest.

"Love 'ya." I murmured against his skin. I know I don't say it often, but I do love him. It took me a long time to admit it to myself, putting aside the confusions. And he's worth it.

"Babe." Ranger murmured sleepily. "Yo tambien."

**Aside from having to decipher what the flower-sending stalker is up to, Steph will set out to find a translation to Ranger's sleepy comment;)**

**Currently I'm at home due to a killer backache and next week is Spring Break, so I'll try to have an update in a couple of days;) **


	6. Circle

**Thanks for the amazing support on this one. I've finally broken past that barrier that kept me from knowing where exactly the story was going to go. And you have to thank **_**DragonflyFriday**_**, because it was that review, or maybe the way I read it, that made the breakthrough possible. **

**So, turns out my backache is a little more serious than just being sore, but the upside is that I have a little more time to write. **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

I woke up to find that I was alone in bed. A moment later Ranger emerged from the bathroom, completely naked and fresh out of the shower. I adjusted my pillow and got comfortable, watching him.

I tracked his every move, instantly noticing he had business to take care of. He dressed in a black suit and silky tie, making him look even more delicious.

"Babe." There was the hint of a smile in his tone and when I snapped my gaze up to his face I found him grinning down at me.

"Good morning." I said while stretching. I'd been shamelessly ogling him and he knew it.

"I have a busy morning filled with meetings." Ranger took two long strides and reached my side of the bed, crouching to be at eye level with me. "I'm all yours after lunch." He kissed me on the forehead, somehow simultaneously making it be both sweet and hot. "Wait for me." Ranger gave me a pointed look.

"Okay." I said, promising I'd wait for him to hit the streets with me.

"Stephanie." His use of my given name meant he was being very serious.

"I will WAIT for you. Promise." I gave him my best sleepy grin.

"Babe." He shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his sexy mouth.

I walked Ranger to the door, again promising I wasn't going to leave the building without him. I watched him get on the elevator and once he was gone I headed to the bathroom.

After I went about my morning routine and had breakfast I pulled on shorts and a T-shirt. While I was lacing my sneakers I realized that I've basically moved in with Ranger. Sure, most of the clothes in his closet are there because of Ella, but that's not all of it. I now think of the left side of the bed as 'my side' and I can move around the apartment in the dark.

"Wow." I whispered to myself, discovering that what Ranger and I have is solid. Okay, what I'm trying to say is that for someone who doesn't do traditional relationships, Ranger's really giving himself to me.

Before I had a chance to put too much thought into this, I went downstairs to the gym.

I hit the treadmill first, choosing an activity that would keep me moving but leave my mind to wander. I started thinking about the flowers again, trying to construct a virtual map in my head. I received the first flowers at the Bonds Office, the second message was left by Lisa's school and the third one at Dickie's. I couldn't see a pattern, so after torturing myself for a while, I decided it was best if I tried doing this with an actual map in front of me.

I'd forgotten my keys on seven and since I was still working out the possible connections in my head, I unloaded on the fifth floor. I could have used my cubicle, but after what happened with me yesterday I thought it was best to not call attention to myself. I have no doubt that the guys will be utterly professional, but I'd rather have some space for now. That only left Ranger's office. He'd said he'd be in meetings all morning and I don't think he'll mind.

I slipped into Ranger's office and sat behind his desk, booting up his computer. I logged on using his password and pulled up a map of Trenton. While I waited for it to print, I noticed that there's another thing his shared with me. Of course, I knew his password from before, but still that counts, right?

I marked the map and still couldn't find a pattern. The only thing all these spots have in common is me. Plus, I had to take into consideration what happened at my parents' and Grandma's friend's place. Whoever is doing this was busy last night and I can't believe he was able to do so much in one night and not be seen.

Footsteps neared the door and when it swung open Lester came in with a file in hand. Rangeman is very techy, but there are still certain forms that circulate as hardcopy.

"Beautiful, are you okay?" Lester asked, placing the file on Ranger's desk. "Want me to call Bobby?"

"Wh-Oh, no." I shook my head, telling him I was fine. "It's just my fair skin." I told him it flushes easily and that I'd just been downstairs running.

"Running?" Lester cocked his head to the side, considering. "Don't think I've ever seen you run other than when you're chasing after a skip." He didn't look too convinced, so I changed the topic.

"Hey, I was wondering if you found anything useful yesterday?"

"Your ex-husband's neighbors didn't notice anything strange during the night. Half of the people in that block didn't even know someone lived in the house."

Another dead end, for now. "Thanks."

"No problem." Lester told me he had some work to do, but that he would be free in the afternoon. "Oh, and hey, can't believe that was your ex-husband." Lester gave me his best wicked grin, asking if I'd been desperate then.

I sometimes think about why I married Dickie and I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't my best move. "I've wondered the same thing." I answered.

"I would have been some serious competition to him, wouldn't I?"

I grinned. "Yeah, you would have." I agreed, happy to see that things are still good between us. Lester was about to leave when I decided he was the perfect person to ask for help with translating a little something. "Can you tell me what '_yo tanbien' _means?"

"Yo ta_mmmm_bien." He emphasized the m for my benefit, although I was well aware that I'd pronounced the phrase incorrectly. Lester told me it means 'me too'.

I felt my insides do a little flip-flop as I realized that Ranger admitted, in his sleep, that he loves me too. I've known that he does for a long time, his actions have more than proved it, but it feels good to hear it.

"Thanks." I flashed Lester my best smile and watched him leave before I returned to the task at hand.

S&R

By the time I was fed up with trying to find a connection the words on the computer screen looked blurry and I was beginning to have a cramp on the back of my neck. I logged off the computer and straightened the various pages I had before getting up and stretching.

I bumped into Ranger on my way to the elevator and followed him up to seven.

"Just let me grab a quick shower and I'm all yours." I told him when he let us inside the apartment. Ranger followed my lead and once we were in the bedroom I left the papers on the bed, moving to the bathroom.

But before I showered I had something to do. I turned around to face Ranger, taking a few long strides to plant a kiss on his lips. "Five minutes." I promised before turning around and moving towards the bathroom.

I'd just reached the door when I felt Ranger wrap an arm around me. A half spin later I was face to face with him. "Wait." Ranger inspected me, eyes tracking me from head to toe. "What was that about?"

I shrugged, brushing my breasts against his chest in the process. "Just a kiss." I said, sneaking my hands inside his suit jacket. My fingers found the shoulder holster I knew he was wearing and I groaned in approval.

"Just a kiss, huh?" Ranger kissed me, detecting there was more to this than just a kiss. "Babe." His hands began to roam and as soon as he touched skin I knew he was going to get me to tell him anything he wanted.

"You're not playing fair." I accused, moaning at the way his hands closed over my breasts under the sports bra.

"Me?" Ranger let out a snort of laughter, backing me up against the bathroom door in the process. He reminded me that I was the one who ogled him in the morning while he was getting dressed. "I've been thinking about just this all morning." Ranger confessed, his mouth claiming mine once again.

S&R

Ranger is magic. I'd forgotten all about the flowers and things that needed to get done. I snuggled closer to Ranger, wanting to bask in the feeling of completeness after our lovemaking.

I knew that if I didn't get out of bed soon then nothing would get done.

"Babe?" Ranger arched an eyebrow when I moved away from him and got up. I shot him a look over my shoulder, taking a mental of picture of him. Naked Ranger never gets old.

The papers that constituted my research were scattered on the floor and I took a moment to look at them. Maybe it was the angle at which I was looking at the map, but a pattern finally clicked.

"A circle!" I gasped, noticing that the flower creep was moving in a circular pattern.

"What is it?" I heard Ranger shift on the bed, moving to stand next to me. I bent to pick up the map and pointed at my discovery. Ranger placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze to let me know he understood.

**To be continued….**


	7. Her

**Been working on this chapter all throughout the day. Grab a seat and get ready…**

**Again, thanks for the amazing support;)**

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

We tried going over the map right away, but kept getting distracted. Okay,_ I _couldn't concentrate with a naked Ranger within reach.

We showered and shared ideas over a bite to eat.

"Your apartment isn't necessarily in the middle of the activity, but it's pretty close." Ranger commented. "So far, it looks like this guy's been avoiding Rangeman."

"Because he probably knows he won't stand a chance." I said.

"What are all these other papers for?" Ranger flipped through the sheets, reading off flower names.

"I wanted to do a little research of my own." I shook my head, telling him there was conflicting information online. "I wanted to confer with Lester, but he won't be available until later."

"It would help if we knew who we're dealing with."

"Yeah. He's kept his identity a secret."

We sat in silence thinking until we decided to be a little more productive.

Ranger was driving down Hamilton, heading to that flower shop Lester told us about when my cell phone rang. It was Mr. Wolesky and he sounded...odd.

"Chickie, I know your young but you should bring down the noise. I can barely hear my TV."

I frowned until I understood what he was saying.

"I'll take care of it." I hung up and turned to Ranger. "Someone's in my apartment."

He gave me an almost imperceptible nod at the same he turned off Hamilton.

"I wanna come with." I stated.

Ranger drove to my apartment and got there in record time mostly because he stretched a lot of traffic laws. He parked at the edge of the lot, shooting a quick glance at my window.

"You will follow my orders." Ranger said, handing me the Baby Glock and the keys to the Turbo. "If I signal you, you'll call for backup and get back to Rangeman."

"What?" I shook my head. "I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, you will." Ranger gave me a pointed look. "Babe." He warned before I even put up a fight.

"Why don't we wait for backup then?" I offered, but Ranger was having none of it.

"Stay close." He told me as we took the stairs. I followed him down the hall, staying with him as if we were glued at the hip. When we reached my door, Ranger expertly worked on the lock and went inside. He didn't have to tell me to wait, I already knew.

I was standing just barely inside my foyer, gun raised. I couldn't hear Ranger moving through my apartment over the roar in my head. I gripped the gun with both hands and waited, willing myself to stay focused.

"Babe!" Ranger's shout reverberated from the bedroom back to me. A chill ran up my spine just as a flash of light shook my apartment.

"Ranger!" I activated the panic button on my key-ring, but before I had a chance to do much else my instincts put me on alert. A door opened behind me and quick footsteps reached me in a heartbeat. A jolt cursed through me and everything went dark.

S&R

I had no idea how much time had passed by the time I started to come back. Through the haze I realized I'd been stun-gunned. I let out a half groan of annoyance and discomfort.

"Shshsh." A soothing voice whispered, sending another shiver through me. Or maybe I was still experiencing the aftershocks. I opened my eyes, blinked back tears and tried to focus.

I was in a car and though the surroundings looked familiar, I couldn't concentrate on any of the passing street signs. When I tried to move I discovered I was strapped in and kept in place with a thick rope around my middle, just below my breasts.

"I didn't want it to be this way." At the sound of the voice I turned my head to face the driver. A woman with a striking profile was behind the wheel.

"Who are you?" I asked after clearing my throat a few times.

"We'll have time for that soon." She spared me a quick glance. In that fleeting moment I had the feeling that I'd meet this woman before, but just couldn't place her at the moment.

"Ranger…" I mumbled, trying to twist around in my seat. He's come to my rescue on more than one occasion, but I don't know if he's hurt.

"Don't worry." She flashed me a smile. "He won't bother us anymore."

I felt my heart skip a beat at the thought of never seeing Ranger again. If he was okay, then I wouldn't currently be in the hands of a crazy.

S&R

I decided my best option at the moment was to focus on my surroundings. I kept track of the streets and was able to recognize when we entered Hamilton Township.

She wound around a residential area, pulling into a driveway. She punched a remote control on the console and the attached garage door slid up.

The car came to a stop and I watched the woman exit and jog around the car. She wrenched open my door, the seatbelt sliding back on the frame to allow me to exit.

"Don't even think about it." She trained Ranger's Baby Glock on me, urging me to get out. My arms were pinned to my sides, but my legs were free to swing out of the car. Considering my options were very limited, I didn't try an escape. But I did start filing away anything that could possibly be an escape route.

I had some trouble standing up, but I managed it with minimal help. There was a door that opened into the house and as soon as I took my first step inside I was greeted with a mixture of scents. I sneezed a couple of times, unable to help it due to the amount of flowers in the kitchen.

"Sit." I was guided to a chair and as I tried to control my sneezing, she moved to open the small kitchen window. "Want something to drink?"

I shook my head, brushing against a bundle of red Tulips in the process. I snapped my gaze back to the woman before me. "Do I know you?" I asked, tracking my eyes over her. She was just as tall as me with a slightly darker skin complexion than mine. I think she could be Latina, but I couldn't be one-hundred percent sure. I had a feeling like I've seen her before…

"It's been a long time." She flashed me a smile, making those toothpaste commercial models seem lacking in comparison. "Angelina Martinez, but maybe you'd remember me as Dominguez."

_Dominquez, Dominguez_… And then it came to me. Back when I was married to Dickie we had dinner with one of his clients, a Rafael Dominguez and his wife. I can remember it because it was perhaps the only business outing I went to before the divorce.

I studied the woman before me, finally knowing who she is but not understanding what she wants with me.

"Wh-what is this about?" I maybe crossed three words with her in the past and I can't imagine what sort of _business_ she has with me now.

"I wanted to do this differently." Angelina blushed, moving to take the chair across from mine. "I guess starting at the beginning would help, right?" She let out a nervous little laugh and I joined in, hoping I sounded convincing.

"Yes, it would." I forced out a smile, nodding for her to begin. Perhaps if I got her talking I can convince her to untie me.


	8. Declaration of Love

**Thanks for the great response to this story. To compensate for the wait, this chapter's extra-long;) This chapter includes a Steph POV for the first half and someone else's POV in the second half, enjoy;) **

**A lot is revealed in this chapter, like what happened between Steph and Ranger and Morelli.**

**I was listening to Jenni Rivera while I was working on this chapter and thought this song went perfect with this chapter: **_**Before the Next Teardrop Falls**_**. The song is in Spanglish, half English and half Spanish. Thought it fits the whole Steph/Ranger/Morelli triangle. **

**Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE.**

"Rafa, my ex-husband…" Angelina began, waiting for me to catch on. I nodded for her to continue, eager to get this over with. "He backed out of doing business with Dick, because he said there was something about Dick that wasn't of his liking."

I tried to remember what Rafael looked like, but all I could remember was that he was pleasing to the eye without being able to really picture him in detail. "And?" I prompted Angelina to keep talking.

"Dick contacted me some time later, so I could convince my husband." Angelina said she got a little _too_ involved with Dickie and when her husband found out, her marriage ended. "But when this happened you were already well into your divorce." She clarified.

I grimaced, relieved that my marriage only lasted about 15 minutes.

"I was having a hard time bouncing back from the fiasco." She admitted. "When I found out you were a bounty hunter then I realized that I could move on too. I have a degree in Art History and once I focused on rebuilding the professional side of my life, things started getting better."

I listened all the while trying to control the urge to sneeze.

"I've been in and out of Trenton and I would always here about you, like when you burned down the funeral home."

"That was an accident." I felt the need to point out. I lost my battle and sneezed.

"Maybe you're allergic to these." Angelina moved the red Tulips away from me. I thought it was more likely that I'm allergic to deluded _psychos_. "Anyway, time kept passing by and I met a man." She flashed me a smile. "He was nice and we were trying to see if things would go somewhere until you went after him for skipping his court date."

_Ah!_ I had an enlightening moment and figured she was angry at me for taking her lover to jail. _I can handle this._ I'll just get her to tell me his name and go from there. "What's his name?"

"Jeremy Saenz."

I recognized the name. He'd been charged with human trafficking along with other stuff. He was a big bond. But that was about a year ago. "He was wanted for…"

"I know." She said she read the papers and found out about the secret life of her special friend. "After he went down, I realized I might have lived a horrible life with him had it not been for you." Angelina said she wanted to contact me to have coffee or something, in form of thanks.

"I never heard from you." I said, watching as she placed Ranger's gun next to the Tulips, on the other side of the table from me.

"Well, it was then that I realized that throughout all this change in my life you've been the only constant." She leaned forward, elbows on the table. The movement gave me a perfect view of her lace-encased breasts.

"Oh God! You're coming on to me!" I shrieked, just barely registering what this was all about.

"Wait." She sat back in her chair, saying she didn't approach me openly because she didn't want me to freak out. "I started watching you, wanting to know the best way to approach. I mean maybe we could have started off as friends."

"Uhm…" There's been a nutso or two in the past that's 'fallen in love' with me before, but a woman is new to me.

"I learned that you were dating on and off with a Trenton cop, but there were also rumors you had something with a handsome Latino." Angelina stared at me in silence for a moment. "I thought you deserved better."

_Oh boy._

"When you ended things with the cop and he went away, I thought I'd have a chance to get closer to you."

I knew what she was talking about. Almost a year ago, Morelli was offered a job out of state. He didn't propose, because he thought I'd say no. But, he did ask if I would follow or at least if we'd still have a chance when he got back. I thought being honest with him would be best and I told him I couldn't promise anything. When he left Ranger was also away in Miami, meaning I had time to myself and was able to settle some feelings. My alone time allowed me to realize that I didn't miss Morelli and that what we had, in great part, consisted of our long history together. We grew comfortable with each other and with Morelli away I was finally able to see things differently.

I'm not sure how it happened, but when Ranger got back I caught myself bumping into him quite often. He offered me a job at Rangeman to help myself due to the slow bounty hunting season. To this day Ranger and I have been romantically involved. Things developed from a physical encounter to something I can't quite decipher yet. I mean, just this morning I was discovering that Ranger and I are basically living together.

"But then you got involved with Ranger." Angelina's words, laced with a strong hatred, brought me back from my internal musings.

"Look, I…" I thought it was my turn to talk. Maybe with some luck I can convince her to let me go.

"Don't you see?" Angelina was getting agitated, I could tell. "He was just using you!"

"It's not like that." I defended, suddenly feeling a wave of territoriality wash over me. How could she come and tell me that what Ranger and I have isn't real? I'm the one who's there!

"I wanted to romance you with flowers." She said she wanted me to remember the way my past relationships have been. That's what the Heleniums meant. "When you were kept at Rangeman I got to thinking that maybe you were misinterpreting my message."

_You think? _"What about the Yarrow?" I questioned.

"That was meant for the love war you've been involved in and how you're supposed to heal from all of that." She told me things got messy, that all of her hard work only pushed me closer to Ranger. "I thought it was time to come clean and give these personally." Angelina came closer, offering me the Tulips.

"What are these supposed to mean?" I asked, catching a small sign of movement on the other side of the kitchen window. My heart hammered in my chest with the possibility that it could be Ranger coming to get me.

"My declaration of love." She flashed me a smile, returning the flowers to the table. "It will be great between us." She leaned forward and I panicked at the thought of her kissing me. I haven't felt this way about a kiss since junior high when I played spin the bottle for the first time.

I broke out in a sweat as I watched her lips come closer. A sneeze would really save me, but the urge was gone. Damn!

S&R- _Meanwhile…_

"What the hell are you doing?" Lester growled, rushing into the room.

"I'm not staying." I answered, swinging my legs to the side. I barely suppressed a groan when I sat at the edge of the gurney. "Stephanie's in the hands of God knows who and I'm not…"

"Tank's got it covered." Lester stood blocking the door, but I knew it was a bluff. Even in my condition he won't be able to stop me.

"You're driving." I said, getting to my feet and moving to grab the plastic bag that held my clothes. I tugged on my mostly ruined Cargo pants and moved to yank at the IV on my hand.

"Wait." I kept myself from smiling, knowing I had him. "Let me get the nurse."

After wasting valuable minutes we finally left St. Francis. The medical staff wasn't happy that I was leaving and made me sign some forms. I didn't care. I was on a mission. My Babe needs me.

My cousin wound his way to Stephanie's building, making a few sharp turns.

"Asshole." I gritted through clenched teeth while I wrapped an arm around my abdomen. He did that on purpose, but not even pain was going to keep me from searching for my Babe.

"I love you too." Lester snapped back, parking one street over from the apartment building.

"Jerk." I growled, angling out of the SUV and moving towards the building.

Tank was in the parking lot, surrounded by emergency vehicles and gawking seniors. He was on the phone and shot me a harsh glare when he spotted me.

"Not you too." I warned, standing straight as best as I could.

"We have a lead." Tank said, pointing a finger at Mr. Wolesky. "He was forced to call Stephanie to get her to come over."

"I didn't want to, but had no choice." The older man told me. "But I got this from the woman that took Chickie." He pointed at the license Tank held in one hand. I sometimes wonder about my Babe's neighbors. They have some odd skills.

"It was a trap." I told Tank that as soon as I noticed the bedroom was booby-trapped I warned Babe. There was a flash of light and when I came to I was already on my way to the hospital.

"I'm waiting on Cal to get back to me." Tank told me, keeping his cell phone glued to his ear.

"What about the trackers?" I questioned, eyeing a cane one of the seniors was holding and wondering if any of them had an extra I could borrow for the time being.

Tank nodded to the Turbo and fished the keys out of his pocket.

"The gun I gave Babe has a tracker." I said, watching as realization dawned on him. He didn't know about it. Tank nodded and barked out orders to Cal via the phone.

It didn't take long to locate the gun. It was in Hamilton Township. I rode with Tank and Lester, suppressing a groan of pain every time Lester accelerated.

"We got a new address for the woman." Tank told me the one on the license was no longer her place of residence. He met my gaze through the rearview mirror since he was sitting in the backseat.

"Let me guess, it matches the address where the gun is?" Lester questioned, signaling his turn to wind around a residential area in Hamilton Township. I saw Tank nod his head.

"You look like crap." Tank said as we neared our destination.

"I told him so." Lester added, screeching to a halt two houses down from the address in question.

I ignored the two and opened the door to get out. "I'm coming with." I told them, using my usual tone that said I wasn't going to argue.

An annoyed sigh left Lester's lips as he got out. I had some trouble straightening after I angled out of the SUV, but I managed. I caught Tank giving me a dubious glance.

"Here." Lester tossed me a vest. "Put it on and you can come with."

I grunted with the effort, but I managed to get the vest on.

"Dude, seriously." Lester frowned at me. "You're in no condition…"

"You can take the lead." I said. None of them looked happy, but they knew I wasn't going to back down.

"Woody and Hal are positioned in the back." Lester said we were going in through the front.

As promised, I followed Lester and Tank's lead. We reached the front door and within seconds we were inside. Woody and Hal already had a visual from the kitchen window.

"What are these supposed to mean?" At hearing my Babe's voice I let out the breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding.

"My declaration of love." I heard another voice respond. The voices were coming from the kitchen and we approached in silence.

We reached the kitchen just as my Babe shrieked, turning her head to side to avoid getting kissed. The woman was focused on her and didn't even suspect we were there until Lester reached her side, moving her away from Stephanie.

"Ranger!" Those blue eyes spotted me and the world stood still for a moment. I tracked my eyes over her as I moved closer, watching as Tank removed the rope from her. As soon as she was free my Babe launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around me. "You're okay." She breathed the words against my neck, her lips brushing my skin as she spoke.

"Babe." I managed to clutch her closer, gasping as the embrace renewed the relentless flash of pain.

"You're hurt." She pulled her head back to look at my face, studying me. "You look like you need a hospital."

"Lester got me out." I managed with a soft smile just for her. "Maybe…ah… maybe you can take me back?" I sneezed, groaning after.

"Come on." With Tank's help Stephanie walked me out of the house.


End file.
